Diseases on the nails bring a lot of discomfort and psychological problems. On the nails, not only fungus can occur, but also many other no less serious problems. Moreover, often they are only symptoms of some more serious diseases. If any diseases appear on the nails, then this inevitably leads to a change in the structure of the nail plate. Try to choose the time in order to visit a specialist who will help you get rid of this unpleasant ailment.
What is nail disease?
If you see a shiny nail plate on your feet that has a smooth pale pink surface, then this is a sure sign that everything is in order with your health. Unfortunately, not a single person is safe from the appearance of diseases on the nails, which are the result of serious problems in the body. So, a similar problem can occur for the following reasons:
- If there are infectious fungal infections on the nails.
- Such a symptom can have diseases that were caused by disorders in the endocrine or nervous system.
- Perhaps the cause is some kind of birth defect.
- Various injuries can also lead to diseases on the toenails.
- Similar diseases can even be inherited.
- Improper nutrition leads to damage to the nail plate.
- If a person cares poorly for nails.
- Smoking harms even our nails.
- The cause of such diseases are often skin, infectious diseases.
- The effect on the nail plate of various chemicals adversely affects it.
- Vitamin deficiency inevitably leads to the fact that the nails, and not only, begin to collapse.
What diseases on the nails signal
Even on the nails of the legs, you can determine that some virus has settled in the body, or an exacerbation has occurred. So, any changes on the nail plate are evidence that you should pay attention to the general condition of your body.
If you notice that the nails on your legs have turned yellow, and even blueness has appeared near the bed, then consult a doctor to exclude the presence of diabetes mellitus.
White become the nails of those people who suffer from liver diseases.
From oxygen deprivation, the nails on the legs, and on the hands too, acquire a blue tint.
The nail plate may become pale. Most likely, a person has anemia or some kind of kidney disease, which is also recommended to immediately check with a specialist.
But lung diseases manifest themselves in the form of slow nail growth, and they can also become thicker, yellow.
Nail fungus
Perhaps one of the most serious and common reasons why problems arise with the nails is the toenail fungus. Scientifically, this disease is called onychomycosis. What is it like? These are pathogenic microorganisms that spread and grow quite quickly. If you do not take up the treatment of the disease immediately, then late therapy will be too complicated and lengthy. The fungus propagates especially well at high humidity and air temperature. What are the reasons for its appearance?
- If a person neglects the rules of personal hygiene, visiting such public places as a sauna or a swimming pool.
- It is strictly forbidden to wear someone else's shoes, especially without socks, because you do not know what bacteria live on the feet of strangers.
- If you work for a long time in a room with adverse conditions, it is quite possible that extraneous microorganisms on the legs will begin their active growth.
- It so happens that the fungus on the nails appears due to age-related changes.
- In addition to all of the above, diseases of the endocrine system can cause a similar ailment.
The varnish for toenail fungus helps in the treatment of this disease. However, it is often quite expensive, and not suitable for everyone, so it is better to purchase it only after the recommendation of a specialist.
How to understand that it is a fungus
There are many signs by which you can accurately determine the presence of fungus on the nails. First of all, thickenings appear on the nails, which are simply impossible not to notice. Also, the nails begin to crack, and this gives great inconvenience and pain. The color of the nail plate can change greatly, most often it turns yellow. Nails begin to break and peel off. It affects not only the nail plate itself, but also the skin that is around. The skin begins to burn, itch, clearly visible redness appears. And also do not be surprised if the blue toenail is blue , as this can be not only the result of a blow.
As for the early stages, the nails become dull, lose their luster and healthy color, yellow spots may even appear on the surface. If you consult a specialist on time, you can quickly and easily get rid of the fungus. To understand that the fungus has begun to progress, just watch the changes on your nail plate. It can become a little bumpy, tissues become very inflamed, the nail plate is completely destroyed, its hue changes. You can even see black toenails , and this will be a clear symptom of the fungus.
Platonichia
Platonichia cannot be confused with another disease, since its obvious sign is a flat nail plate. A disease is treatable, but only if it is not a congenital pathology. This disease does not disregard a single toe. There are a number of reasons why platonichia may occur:
- The disease can be hereditary.
- This may be due to a malfunction of the heart.
- Pathologies in the field of endocrinology have a great influence.
- The body may be extremely short of protein, and this becomes the cause of platonichia.
- Liver diseases are also a list of causes.
- Various injuries to the legs can trigger a similar problem.
- If a person has any skin diseases, then their late therapy leads to the appearance of platonichia.
- If you did the wrong pedicure, then your nails can suffer greatly from this, and subsequently you will have to deal with the above disease.
You can cure a pathology only if you know exactly the cause of its occurrence, and the cause is established only under the supervision of doctors. Moreover, in order to accurately determine why platonihia occurred, it is necessary to observe whether there are any other symptoms.
So, if, in addition to the fact that the nail plate became even, it also acquired a bluish tint, then the cause was VSD, gastritis, or circulatory failure. But in the event that the nails just begin to break and become dry, then this means that the body lacks any vitamins, the stock of which is urgently needed to be replenished.
Cross striation of nails
It is very simple to determine such a disease, since a transverse arcuate groove appears on the entire surface of the nail plate. There are many reasons for its appearance, you need to know about them:
- Perhaps some inflammatory processes are taking place in the body that give similar side effects.
- A person may be sick with some kind of infectious disease that carries such a manifestation.
- If the master did a poor-quality pedicure and injured the roller on the nails, then there is a high probability of the appearance of transverse striation.
- Eczema is not a very common, but quite possible cause.
- Even neuropsychological pathologies can affect nails.
- Psoriasis is another disease that provokes such additional problems.
- In children, measles or scarlet fever causes cross striation.
You can get rid of this ailment only if you manage to overcome all the pathologies that influenced its development.
Micronichia
The prefix micro itself indicates that with this disease the nail plate of a person is greatly shortened. Micronychia is especially often diagnosed in those people who have a bad habit of biting their nails. The causes of this disease are quite serious. And you can get rid of the disease only after passing the full course of treatment. So, the following diseases become the cause of micronichia:
- Trophoneurosis.
- Progressive scleroderma.
- Genuin epilepsy, which appeared as a result of metabolic disorders.
Ingrown nail
Sometimes it happens that various inflammatory processes occur on the fingers, as a result of which the nail pierces the skin and can grow. And this also happens if a toenail is cracked, and this piece is strongly stuck in the skin. It is quite difficult not to notice such a problem, as severe pain, swelling appears, pus may even be secreted, and body temperature may rise. There are several reasons for nails to grow into the skin of the legs:
- If a person incorrectly cut his nails.
- If you wear tight shoes for a long time.
- After receiving various injuries, nails can cut into the skin.
- The cause may even be an ordinary fungal infection.
To get rid of such an ailment, you need to go through a number of procedures. First of all, the surgeon removes that piece of the nail plate that has grown into the skin. Further, the patient's task is to regularly make foam baths with the addition of antibacterial agents. Be sure to wash your feet and do not neglect the rules of personal hygiene. Only high-quality shoes should be chosen, and women should better avoid high heels. It is recommended to visit only experienced and proven pedicure masters who will not make mistakes during the procedure. It is necessary to deal with sweating feet for those who are faced with this problem, since fungus can develop. In especially advanced cases, the doctor is forced to remove some part of the nail plate.
Atrophy
This disease has its own characteristics, by which it can be easily determined. The nail plate becomes thinner, longitudinal strips appear, the shape of the nail changes. There are quite a few reasons for the appearance of atrophy:
- Psoriasis is one of the most common causes of atrophy.
- A disease such as lichen planus also leads to this ailment.
- Deficiency in the body of vitamins of groups A, B, C.
- Atrophy can bother people who lack iron, calcium, phosphorus, or chromium in their bodies.
- It is possible that an injury to the nail plate will lead to atrophy.
- Even a fungal infection causes a similar problem.
- If nails are exposed to harmful chemicals for a long time, they become atrophied.
- Excessive alcohol consumption can adversely affect your nails.
- Some medications can also have this effect on your nails.
- Some digestive diseases have this symptom.
You can completely get rid of atrophy only if you follow a diet. In especially difficult cases, the doctor is forced to resort to removing the nail plate. Dermatologists prefer the following course of treatment:
- First of all, the patient should purchase drugs that increase immunity in the presence of systemic diseases.
- Be sure to prescribe drug complexes that contain many trace elements.
- A number of sedatives should be drunk.
- Be sure to use various antifungal agents.
- The patient should regularly do therapeutic baths.
Prevention of various diseases
For almost all of the above diseases, prevention has the same points.
First of all, you should wash your feet daily and do not neglect the rules of hygiene. Try to choose only high-quality shoes that would not hamper your movements. Before going out, check that the shoes are dry and fresh. You can not use other people's things (socks, slippers, boots, towels) when visiting places such as a bathhouse, shower, sauna, pool. It is not recommended to even walk barefoot on the floor in an unfamiliar room. And you should regularly undergo examinations by specialists to exclude factors that can trigger diseases on the toenails.
Grandma's methods
Alternative treatment of toenail fungus gives good results, so you should write yourself some recipes. They will help not only cure diseases, but also prevent their appearance.
If you find the first symptoms of foot nail disease, then take a teaspoon of tea tree oil, half a teaspoon of orange and olive oil, as well as grape seed oil. All this must be mixed and moistened with a cotton swab in the mixture, and then applied to the affected nails and left to dry completely. This procedure should be carried out twice a day.
As for traditional methods, the doctor will be able to prescribe the treatment of toenails only after diagnosis. Most often, various ointments are prescribed. However, nail polish can often be used on toenails.